


10 p.m.

by Traviosita9124



Series: Hour by Hour [21]
Category: Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. (TV)
Genre: Angst, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, High School AU, Teenager AU, secret dating au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-08
Updated: 2017-06-08
Packaged: 2018-11-10 17:56:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,049
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11131896
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Traviosita9124/pseuds/Traviosita9124
Summary: “Leo? Wha’s wrong?”His mother’s voice was soft in his ear, but Fitz still flinched at the sound, his knuckles going white as he held onto the broom. He knew she meant well, and while he had never had a problem telling his mother anything before, he couldn’t do it. Not now, at least, with the  booths still full and orders coming in fast around them. Fitz began to deny that anything was wrong, but a quick look from her cut him off.“Can we talk later? Please? I promise, Mum, I’ll tell y’ everythin’. Jus’... not now. Okay?”He caught her nod from the corner of his eye and heaved a sigh of relief as she went back to serving coffee to the regulars. Things might be up in the air, but he’d have his mother’s opinion soon. Things would look better then.





	10 p.m.

“Leo? Wha’s wrong?”

 

His mother’s voice was soft in his ear, but Fitz still flinched at the sound, his knuckles going white as he held onto the broom. He knew she meant well, and while he had never had a problem telling his mother anything before, he couldn’t do it. Not now, at least, with the  booths still full and orders coming in fast around them. Fitz began to deny that anything was wrong, but a quick look from her cut him off. 

 

“Can we talk later? Please? I promise, Mum, I’ll tell y’ everythin’. Jus’... not now. Okay?”

 

He caught her nod from the corner of his eye and heaved a sigh of relief as she went back to serving coffee to the regulars. Things might be up in the air, but he’d have his mother’s opinion soon. Things would look better then. 

 

~*~

 

Later, once it had quieted to only a few regulars in the back booth, his mother caught his eye again, nodding to him through the kitchen window. Fitz shut off the water and dried his hands on his apron before pulling it off and hanging it on its hook. 

 

He found his mother in what he thought of as  _ her  _ booth - the one with the best light during the day that she used to review the books, the one she’d parked him in to do his school work when he was younger - and slid into the opposite seat. She already had a piece of apple pie a la mode waiting for him, and despite his terrible mood Fitz found his lips curling upward into a soft smile. 

 

She watched him for a few moments, fingers curled around a mug of coffee as he took a few bites of his pie. Fitz knew that she was giving him time to settle himself before beginning a tough conversation, and he was struck by just how much he loved his mother. 

 

“All righ’, lad. Out with it.”

 

Fitz clinked his spoon against the worn, heavy duty china and nibbled at his lower lip. He was fairly certain his mother knew plenty of what was going on, but still wasn’t sure where to start. 

 

“Y’ know I’ve been spendin’ more time with Jemma?” 

 

His mother nodded and that was all the opening he needed. The story spilled out of Fitz like water through a sieve, and he found himself telling his mum how they’d started speaking again that fall to their one ill-fated date and everything that had transpired after. He glossed over a few details - the stolen kisses and clandestine night in her room were not things she needed to hear, although something about the glint in his mother’s eye told him she knew all the same. 

 

“An’ tha’s pretty much all there is t’ tell.”

 

His mother nodded slowly, clearly working through the details in her mind before speaking. 

 

“You’re in love with her.” It wasn’t a question, but Fitz nodded in the affirmative all the same; it was no use hiding from her. “Tha’s all well and good, Leo, but please jus’ tell me tha’s not the reason y’ applied t’ all those schools in California.”

 

Of all the things he’d expected his mother to say, asking about his college applications had been  _ nowhere  _ on the list. Fitz found himself spluttering in response.

 

“ _ Wha’ _ ?! Of course no’! I jus’-” His mother arched a brow at him and brought her half-empty mug to her lips, clearly waiting for him to give what she would find to be a reasonable answer. “Mum, I promise tha’ I was lookin’ for the bes’ engineerin’ schools. Tha’s all.”

 

“All righ’,” she murmured with a business like nod. “Then tell me tha’ she’s no’ the reason y’ decided t’ go to the state school instead o’ any of the others y’ got int’.”

 

“Mum,” he mumbled into his chest, not wanting to give her an honest answer but knowing dissembling would only upset her. “I know how expensive out o’ state tuition is. Y’ cannae afford t’ help me pay tha’ much.”

 

“Leopold James Fitz.” His head jerked up in response to his full name, eyes wide. That was never good, even if his mother’s tone was far softer than he’d expect. “How often d’ I need t’ tell y’: our finances are  _ no’ _ your concern. They’re mine. An’ if I tell y’ we have the money, we have the money.” 

 

“Okay but y’ still need me close t’ help out around here. I can come home weekends-”

 

“Leo,” she interjected, cutting him off mid sentence, “Did y’ ever wonder why I sen’ y’ to a private high school?”

 

Fitz’ brow wrinkled in confusion. “No, no’ really. I though’ it was because it had better resources.”

 

“Psh. A mind like yours, y’ would have been jus’ fine in a public school. Gotten int’ more trouble, perhaps, but y’ still would have been a’ the top o’ the class and goin’ to the school o’ your choice. I sent y’ there because you’ll need those connections one day. Havin’ the right network makes everythin’ easier, an tha’ holds true in uni. Moreso, even. And I would rather work my fingers t’ the bone for the nex’ four years knowin’ it’s t’ give y’ a chance at tha’ support system. D’ you understand wha’ I’m sayin’, Leo?”

 

Fitz had never looked at it like that before. He’d assumed his mother had caved to his begging to go to the school that had the newer, more state-of-the-art lab equipment, a single mother caving to her only child’s request. He hadn’t seen the long game that she’d been playing, although he did now. 

 

“Yeah, Mum. I understand wha’ you’re sayin’.”

 

“So tha’s decided then. You’ll handle it all tomorrow, yeah?”

 

His mother stood then and began clearing the dishes in her typically efficient way, jarring Fitz out of his thoughts. 

 

“Wai’... Mum, did y’ really jus’ suggest I follow a girl 3,000 miles t’ California.”

 

“No, I mos’ certainly did no’ suggest tha’. What I suggested is tha’ y’ go t’ California t’ pursue your dream career. And,” she bent down and pressed a quick kiss to his crown, “y’ happen to be with th’ love o’ your life, well, tha’ isnae so bad, either.” 


End file.
